It is needless to say much about Robert Hood, he is already known much as a founding member of Underground Resistance and a pioneer of Minimal Techno, but there is a fact that it has been 20 years since he had formed his label, M-Plant, and this would be the label’s anniversary compilation album. It is a compilation album, but it actually consists of tracks by Robert Hood and his aliases, so it is more like following Robert Hood’s history itself through this album. The first disc of the three consists of early tracks of his in the 90’s and the second disc consists of tracks that have been released after the blank years of the label, which means the releases done after 2009. And it is said that tracks that look for the future, not losing the aspects of the past are being included in the third disc, and many of them are unreleased tracks.

Here I would like to mention on some tracks that I like. First of all, the first disc includes “The Rhythm of Vision” which plays the sounds sampled from Yellow Magic Orchestra’s “Technodelic”; that is why this track is the most known track of his by Japanese Techno listeners. Most of the tracks in this disc are quite solid and strict ruled by his Minimal style, but the closer track, “The Greatest Dancer” (2001) is a Minimal Techno track which is apparently a killer Disco track that is powerful as Jeff Mills’ “Changes of Life” which stands out in his album, “Waveform Transmission Vol.1”. In the second disc, I find that Minimal tracks that beat harder as Berlin’s Techno and Floorplan’s Disco and Gospel oriented tracks are coexisting well. “We Magnify His Name” (from “Sanctified”, 2010) by Floorplan is especially a strong House track with thick spirit of Gospel. Disc three thrills me that it consists of many unreleased tracks that are quite impressive. “A.M. Track” (from “The Protein Valve 1”, 1994) is my favorite track with elaborateness in its Minimal beats and a synth phrase that reminds me of UR’s “Amazon”, then gradually ending with slight Bleep-ness. One of the unreleased tracks, “Monkey” is a track of a strange Acid flavor with Glitch aspects interfering at its rims; “Analog Track (Ghost)” (exclusive to Perpetual Masters (series of remastered releases from the label’s back catalogue): “Protein Valve EP”, 2014) is a track of Robert Hood’s Minimalism being approached by hustle and bustle of Juke/Footwork. The unreleased mix, “Who Taught You Math (Alt. Mix)” is a House track of Acid and Trance which wraps in the sounds of an automated factory that builds R2-D2 robots. The closer track of the album, “Minimal Minded” is also an unreleased track, and is of much wonder for me. Although it maintains the characteristic Minimal beats, sharp sounds in Dubs keep floating over your head, and it makes you high more than you would expect. So indeed, I cannot leave my ears off from his works from now on.

Artwork:Most of Robert Hood’s recent albums’ and EPs’ cover arts are being designed by a Dutch artist, Patrick Vogt. The original logo for ‘Perpetual Masters’ series that deal with releases of back catalogue of M-Plant is being designed as to extinguish the series’ records visually from new records that will be released from the label. The same designer has designed this logo too. See also the link for the book which covers art works of Disco records; the book’s cover design is by him also.